Fearless ice cream seller walks away from popular Portsmouth patch after branding council "greedy"
Business owner will leave popular patch when lease expires
A fearless ice cream seller has decided to walk away from a popular site he has helped transform after branding Portsmouth City Council as “greedy”.
Dan Harding, who runs Dan’s Delights Ice Creams, said it “breaks my heart” after deciding not to renew the tender for the kiosk at College Park in Copnor when it expires in October.
The 36-year-old is no stranger to a battle after ruffling rivals’ feathers with his delicious array of ice creams after bursting on the scene in 2018 before becoming one of the biggest ice cream sellers in the south by 2020. But the determined entrepreneur has decided the fight to stay at College Park is not financially viable.
After taking on the struggling site six years ago he has faced arson attacks, knife crime, attempted break-ins and ongoing vandalism. While the “extremely hot” kiosk and “lack of proper extraction” has cost him thousands of pounds in damaged equipment.
Yet despite all the issues thrown at him, Dan was instrumental in turning the space into a “vibrant, buzzing, community-friendly park” after working closely with police, residents and Portsmouth City Council staff. “We are incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together,” he said.
“We chose to stay because of the amazing community spirit and the incredible support we’ve received from our customers.
“I want to sincerely thank every one of you for your loyalty, kindness, and support over the last six years. It genuinely means the world to us.
“College Park has also been a huge part of my daughter’s childhood. She absolutely adores the park, the animals, and the wonderful people we’ve met along the way.”
Dan said the new deal would mean paying three times more rent than what he paid when first taking on the patch. And after making such a huge contribution to the area, the businessman feels he has been stabbed in the back by the council.
“It breaks my heart to say that negotiations with Portsmouth City Council have broken down. In my opinion, this comes down to greed,” he said.
“We have now been informed that the site will be put out to tender. Interestingly, this appears to be treated differently from many of the other sites on the council’s tender list, and I’ll leave people to draw their own conclusions from that.
“The new terms would require us to pay more than three times the rent we paid when we first took over at College Park, in addition to over £900 per year in business rates. When these costs are combined with rising wages, increasing stock prices, and inflation, the kiosk simply becomes financially unviable.
“On top of this, the council now expects tenants to be responsible for damage to the building. Unfortunately, the building is vandalised on an almost weekly basis, making this an unacceptable level of financial risk for a small independent business.
“As a result, we have made the difficult decision not to continue at College Park when our lease expires this October.”
But it is not all bad news for Dan’s loyal fanbase, with him lining up a new location. “We will be relocating to premises with greater footfall and a more suitable building that will allow our business to continue to grow. We will update everyone as soon as we have secured our new location,” he said.
He added: “Thank you once again to every single customer who has supported us and helped make College Park the place it is today. The memories we’ve made here will stay with us forever, and we hope you’ll continue to support us in our next chapter.”
The announcement caused a stir on social media with Portsmouth North MP Amanda Martin even giving her verdict. “I’m so sorry to read this. This is shocking,” she said before saying she would take it up with the council.
Customers also had their say, with one person posting: “Portsmouth City Council come on. You keep going on about how you’re so proud of the small businesses in Portsmouth, yet you’re killing them. Don’t let this man lose this, and the kiddies lose their favourite spot. Do better.”
Another person wrote: “Such a real shame. It's a lovely little park. I enjoy visiting and the bonus was that your kiosk was there. Greedy councils as usual just out for themselves rather than trying to support local businesses.”
A third local added: “Council greed yet again. They don't give a damn about small businesses. Good luck in your new adventures and I'm sure things will work out for you.”
A council spokesperson said: "The opportunity to operate the kiosk in College Park has recently been published on the council's electronic tendering website for a new contract period.
"Legally, and to ensure that all businesses have the same opportunities, we have to advertise these sites and evaluate all bids on a fair basis, where consideration is given to a range of areas including price. The income received from these sites goes directly towards funding services for residents, so it's important we get the best value for money."
The tendering system references how the council are seeking bids 'in the region of' as a guide, but businesses can bid in with a figure they feel is acceptable once they have undertaken their research and due diligence, the council states.